Where Are You?
by Rabid Pink Bunny
Summary: Reflections on a morning walk to school. A dear friend is missed...


This is what I like to call a "musefic", where the character-of-choice, well... muses. Kinda. Dunno if there's another label for these kind of fics. In the meantime, musefic it is :B

FYI, I use Japanese names and all that good stuff. You should know who's who by now, considering the good amount of fics that are already supplying that information.

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**Where Are You?**

I used to take these moments for granted.

These early morning moments, where everything was just warming up from the sun's rays after a long cool night. I never realized what these short walks were worth, mainly since I was paying more attention to keeping my eyes open. And trying to keep up with whatever _he_ decided to babble on with that morning... 

What _did_ we talk about? 

Funny, when you and someone talk a lot, in our case for years, and you can't ever seem to be able to think about what you discussed all that time... 

It's been so long... maybe a little _too_ long. 

It's hard to tell how much even a simple little thing means to someone until its gone. Or some_one_. 

Where is that mystery loving fool? It's been _months_ since he's been out on that silly case of his. Doesn't he realize there are _other_ matters in his life? There is school, for one, and everyone is wondering just where on earth he is! The students have figured that if _I_ don't even know where he is, that's not a good sign. 

On _his_ part. 

Phone calls just aren't cutting it anymore... Next time he shows his face, he better have a _darned_ good reason for being gone! 

Yawn. 

It's too early for this... To start thinking about him... For once, I should try to forget him... for just a _little_ while. 

But it's hard. 

Especially when you have a living image of him walking right beside you... Of course, Yukiko-san told me they were related, as well as close. I guess that explains how they know about eachother so well. It is still kind of strange, though. 

... If they really _were_ that close, then how come _I_ never knew about it? All this distant-relative stuff and people comming in out of nowhere from America... All like it was some big secret! 

'You never asked' would probably come into play. I'd expect that from him. 

This little boy is such an enigma though... I know there's _something_ behind those glasses that I don't know about... There are just too many times where he acts paranoid, or he just makes a comment that's way beyond his years. 

Or maybe... 

Yeah. I miss him. A lot. 

This is _reality_, silly... Such thoughts only happen in fairy tales. Wierd what kind of strange ideas your mind will think of. 

"R-Ran-neechan?" a small voice piped up. 

"Hm?" I answered a bit absentmindedly. 

He shifted behind me. "Why are we in front of Shinichi-niisan's house? We're supposed to be headed for school..." 

... Oh. 

Old habits, like an everyday school route, die hard, I guess. 

"I wasn't thinking, was I?" I tried to laugh it off, waving my hand. 

And he _stared_ at me sullenly, like he _knew_. This was one of those odd quirks about Conan. He could read a person as if it were his profession. 

Yawn. Too early for denial moments. 

I gazed into the numerous windows of the oversized home, hoping by some miracle, Shinichi will burst right through the door, smiling and greeting me like he did every morning. Even if it was just a simple, "Hey, Ran!", I wanted to hear it. For almost a second, I thought I heard the door creak open. I had to be honest with myself... He's not there. Not even around, or close, or even as close as far away gets. 

He was _nowhere to be found_. 

"Ran-neechan?" Conan said once more. 

"Conan-kun, is there someone you miss?" I started mindlessly. My eyes never left the vacant Kudo residence. "Someone you never knew you needed so much before?" 

Conan lowered his eyes to his feet, looking guilty. I often wondered what he felt so bad about... was it because he knew Shinichi too? Or was he just overly sympathedic? He thought, then grabbed my hand, looking up at me with a slightly more cheery face. 

"Shinichi-niisan will be home soon!" he assured. "As soon as he finishes that really big case of his! He always says, just wait for him, because he'll be back." 

I rubbed my sleepy eye--yes, _sleepy_--and smiled. 

Such a _lifesaver_... "Have I ever told you what a blessing you are?" I asked. 

I kneeled down, grabbing him close in my arms. I was always glad that Conan, my 'little brother', was around. He was like the perfect conscience that I've needed, always knowing how to cheer me up... 

I wonder... 

If Shinichi ever held me like this... 

How would it feel?


End file.
